This invention relates generally to coupling devices for attaching to an anchor member. Such a coupling may be equipped with any manner of elongated members such as for example and without limitation a tether, a leash a web, a wire, or a rope. So, for example, the coupling device may be releasably engaged or coupled at one end with an anchor member on a collar worn by an animal and engaged or coupled at the other end with a leash, the leash being tended by a human.
It is desirable to provide a coupling device configured to releasably engage an anchor member. Such a coupling device may be released even if release is being resisted, say for example and without limitation by an animal pulling at its leash as a user tries to disengage the coupling device at the end of the leash from the anchor member on the animal's collar. A coupling device is provided generally comprising a lever or locking member having a locking appendage or tooth located at the lever's distal end. The lever, which may or may not be monolithic, illustratively is movably mounted within a housing or cover. The cover may define a recognizable shape such as an animal, a human, an inanimate object, a fictitious being and the like. For example, the cover may resemble the head of a dog, any dog. No matter what the cover is shaped to resemble, it may have protrusions to aid in gripping and identification of the coupling device. For example, in the case of a dog head, the cover may have anatomically correct or representative protrusions such as ears, eyes, top of head or forehead and the like. These protrusions aid in gripping the coupling device while disengaging or engaging it with an anchor member. The cover also defines a mouth that resembles the mouth of the animal, and is configured to receive the anchor member. The coupling device could also be coupled with other objects, such as a set of keys. The cover could also be equipped with sound or illumination devices and may be colored. The cover's color may be any color or combination of colors. For example, the cover could have a fanciful color like blue, or it could be realistic such that a cover shaped like a Golden retriever head might have a black nose, brown eyes, and fawn or golden colored fur.
The lever may pivot about a mounting member relative to the cover in order to close or open the mouth. In the closed position, the tooth substantially covers the mouth and retains an anchor member therein. The lever may be biased into the closed position by a bias member, such as for example a spring. In the open position, the tooth is substantially withdrawn from the mouth such that it is substantially open or uncovered to allow the insertion or extraction of the anchor member from the mouth. The pivot point of the lever may be located near the proximate end of the lever, or it may be located between the lever's proximate and distal ends. The leading or engagement edge of the lever may be angled to allow it to be moved or pivoted about the mounting member by engaging another structure, such as a rigid anchor member, which causes the lever to move through camming. The lever also may be moved to the open position by direct manipulation of the lever. Having a generally S-Shaped lever that pivots near the proximate end of the lever allows the direct manipulation portion to be located between the lever's distal and proximate ends or even toward or at the proximate end if desired. With this arrangement, a user may grasp the gripping protrusions, such as ears, eyes, forehead, of the cover and apply pressure against the direct manipulation portion in order to overcome the bias force and move the lever into the open position. The lever may also be moved through internal forces, such as camming forces. In such a case a camming pin or member inside the cover might impinge upon a camming portion of the lever when a force is applied to a suitable structure to move the camming pin. Such a suitable structure might be a button.
The coupling device may further comprise a frame assembly sized to fit within the cover and sized to nestle and mount the lever. The coupling device may further comprise a mounting assembly including an anchorage. The anchorage may be configured to couple with any suitable elongate member. The elongate member may be any suitable flexible, semi-flexible, semi-rigid or rigid member, and may be for example a leash, a tether, a web, a rope, a wire, a tube and the like without limitation. The mounting assembly may be detachable from the coupling device. So, for example, the coupling device may remain coupled to the anchor member on a pet's collar while the mounting assembly may be detached along with a leash that is attached to the anchorage. The anchorage may move about a longitudinal axis through an anchorage mount carried on the mounting assembly. The elongate member may be permanently, semi-permanently or releasably coupled to the anchorage through any suitable structure or method, such as for example and without limitation, sewing, snapping, clipping, riveting, gluing, hook and looping, bracketing, sliding association, and the like or any combination of the foregoing.
Each of the cover, the frame assembly, the lever, and the mounting assembly may, but need not be of monolithic construction. So too, a cover and frame assembly combination may but need not be of monolithic construction; a frame and mounting assembly combination may but need not be of monolithic construction; a cover and mounting assembly combination may but need not be of monolithic construction; and a cover, frame assembly and mounting assembly combination may but need not be of monolithic construction. In the event that the above combinations are not monolithic, then they may be coupled together using any suitable fastener device or means, such as bolts, rivets, screws, glue, cement, weld, solder, and the like without limitation. So too, the cover may be snapped onto the frame and/or mounting assembly and vice versa. So too, a combination of monolithic construction and fastening devices or methods may be used. Each of the cover, the lever, the frame assembly, and the mounting assembly may be fashioned from any suitable metallic, non-metallic, or composite material or combination thereof by any method of manufacture suitable for the material or combination of materials used.